Family Camp (Daddy Dearest, #1)(10)

“The bunny lived to hop again. Sing this song and you will too.”

When they’d run through the short song a half-dozen times, with more and more people joining in on the words and motions, Cindy announced the end with a loud “Whoo hoo!” and clapping.

“Hi, everyone!” she said in her big, outdoor voice. “I’m Cindy Mayhew and this is….”

Travis and the other counselors crouched and simulated a drum roll.

“… Family Camp!” Cindy hollered. She jumped up and down, cheering.

Cindy was sort of camp personified in Travis’s mind. She was thirty-three, but she was as lively, sporty, outgoing, and goofy as she’d ever been. Hell, she still wore her blond hair in Heidi-like braids under her camp baseball cap.

All the kids in the audience jumped around too and the parents clapped and cheered.

“All right! Whoo! So for those of you who have been with us before, welcome back. Suckers!”

Everyone laughed.

“Seriously, I’m glad our insanity has not put you off. For new campers, welcome! Our motto here is…”

Travis and the other counselors shouted the words with Cindy. “Have fun or else!”

There was more cheering and claps.

Travis’s gaze washed over the crowd, snagging on Geo. He had Lucy perched on one shoulder so she could see, and Travis gave her a private smile. She was such a quiet little thing. She brought back memories of his days in foster care. He’d known kids like that, kids who had internalized almost to the point of shutting down. As for the boy, Jayden, he was standing with Stryker and Aiden at the edge of the crowd. Stryker and Aiden had done the camp song and dance while Jayden crossed his arms and tried to look too cool for school.

Travis felt a strange pang. Jesus Christ, he’d been that kid. Once upon a time.

“For those of you who’ve been here before, we have a new cooking class being offered by Chef Judy. We’re super excited about that. Yum…”

She gave the lead-in they’d practiced, and Travis shouted with the others. “Burnt cookies!’”

Cindy went on above the hooting of the crowd. “And of course, the old favorites are all here. Craft classes, swimming lessons, a canoe trip, a hiking trip to Goat Rock, and, best of all, Parent Party night!”

The parents all yelled their approval with a few wolf whistles here and there.

“If you have any trouble, look for one of these gorgeous faces behind me. They’ll be leading your activities all week. We have…Joe, Wyn, Travis…” As Cindy called out their names, each of them did something silly. Joe saluted. Wyn held up two “devil’s horns” and banged his head like a rocker. Travis swung an invisible bat, which always made the women cheer. Trish, their swim instructor, moved her arms in a breast stroke, and Becky did a belly-dance move.

“Over on the bulletin boards are the cabin assignments and a stack of forms. Go get settled in, fill out your activity sheets, and we’ll see you all at lunch at the lodge at noon! You’ll turn in your activity sheets at lunch, so get ’em done, guys! Activities fill up, and it’s first-come-first-serve. You don’t want to get stuck on dish duty with Grandpa Mayhew!”

On cue, all the counselors did a “Waa Waa” move, rubbing their eyes as if crying.

“Most importantly, HAVE A GREAT WEEK YOU GUYS. CAMP EVERMORE HOWL!”

Everyone put their heads back and howled. “WHOOOO!”

As they broke up, Travis had a big smile on his face. God, he loved camp. He was here and he was going to enjoy the fuck out of it. He had a good feeling about this year. It was going to be a blast.

Despite the unwanted presence of that “for now” guy, Geo.




After orientation, Travis and the other counselors had a meeting in the dining hall with the rest of the staff to go over the day’s schedule. His dad, James, joined them, though Cindy did most of the planning these days. Even his mom, Ida, came out from the kitchen wearing her apron and her ever-present smile. She ran the food service for the camp, which was a big job. Her oatmeal cookies were to die for.

They went over the schedule for the day. The big event was the canoe ride, which Travis, Cindy, and Joe would run. Crafts was almost always open and manned by Becky, and Wyn would run archery and volleyball.

When the group broke up, Travis’s dad pulled him aside. “Take a walk with me.”

“Sure.”

They walked down to the lake and out onto the dock. There were a few kids in the distance, but they mostly had the place to themselves while the campers moved into their cabins.

“So what’s goin’ on?” his dad asked. “Haven’t seen you look glum like this in a while.”

Well, so much for leaving his baggage behind for the week. Travis thought about hedging, but there was no point. His dad had always been too smart to fool. James Mayhew still looked strong and healthy in his mid-sixties. He had a dark tan from spending his days outdoors, thick silver hair, a beefy build, and a beer gut that was masked by the big Hawaiian shirts and khaki shorts he loved. He ran the camp like he ran his family—with a huge heart, a precise schedule, and an easygoing attitude that could turn iron-firm when discipline was needed. He was a great man.

“You know I had contract negotiations recently. The Padres only signed me for one more year. Handwriting’s on the wall, I guess. Looks like I’ll be retiring after next season.”